1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for attaching a leader pin to an end portion of a tape type recording medium, a device for processing an end portion of a tape type recording medium, and a method for attaching a leader pin to an end portion of a tape type recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an external recording media used for data backup in computer or the like, a magnetic tape cartridge that complies with the LTO (Linear Tape Open) standard has been known. This type of magnetic tape cartridge is formed of a cartridge case containing components including a single reel around which a magnetic tape is wound, and a draw-out opening for magnetic tape is formed in a side wall of the case. To an end of the magnetic tape, a leader tape is joined by means of a splicing tape, and to an end portion of the leader tape, a leader pin for drawing out the magnetic tape from the draw-out opening of the cartridge is attached, through engagement of the leader pin with a leader pin clip. Both ends of the leader pin are supported by leader pin springs provided in the area around the draw-out opening of the cartridge case.
As a device for attaching a leader pin to an end portion of a leader tape, there can be mentioned a device described in Japanese Patent Application JP2003-338159A (particularly paragraphs 0011-0034 and FIG. 3), which includes a splice mechanical part for joining an end of a magnetic tape to one end of a leader tape; a transport suction mechanical part for holding the leader tape joined to the magnetic tape by negative pressure and transporting the leader tape, with the other end of the leader tape being protruded; and a damper mechanical part for engaging a bar-shaped leader pin with a leader pin clip having C-shaped cross section with the protruded end of the transported leader tape being sandwiched therebetween.
When the above-mentioned magnetic tape cartridge is loaded in the drive and operated, the magnetic tape is drawn out from the magnetic tape cartridge and wound around a take-up reel in the drive. Since there is a step between a hub periphery of the take-up reel and a notch formed in the hub periphery for receiving the leader pin, the wound magnetic tape is likely to have a fold line, which is known as “reel fold.” In order to overcome this problem, the conventional leader tapes have been replaced by a leader tape having larger thickness and larger surface roughness.
However, the magnetic tape with the leader tape recently introduced has a problem in that, when the end portion of the leader tape is sandwiched between the leader pin and the leader pin clip, the leader tape LT tends to have wrinkle W, as shown in FIG. 6. The presence of wrinkle W in the leader tape LT may result in rupture of the leader tape LT due to stress concentrated on the wrinkle W, after repeated use of the magnetic tape cartridge.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a device for attaching a leader pin to a tape type recording medium, a device for processing an end portion of a tape type recording medium, and a method for attaching a leader pin to a tape type recording medium, which prevent wrinkle formation when the leader pin is attached to the tape type recording medium.
The present inventor made intensive and extensive studies with the view towards elucidating the cause of wrinkle formation. As a result, the inventor concluded that a main reason for the wrinkle formation in the leader tape lies in the fact that the leader tapes recently introduced have larger ratio (MD/TD) of an elastic coefficient in machine direction (MD) of the tape to an elastic coefficient in transverse direction (TD), than the conventional leader tapes have.
Specifically, the leader tape introduced recently has a larger elastic coefficient in machine direction than elastic coefficient in transverse direction to some extent. When the bar-shaped leader pin and a leader pin clip having C-shaped cross section are engaged together with the leader tape being sandwiched therebetween, a pulling force is applied to the leader tape. Since the leader tape introduced recently has a larger elastic coefficient in machine direction, the recent leader tape is likely to stretch in transverse direction or oblique direction relative to machine direction, and thus the leader tape may be stretched in transverse direction or oblique direction during the attachment of the leader pin to the leader pin clip, which is believed to cause wrinkle formation. The present invention is made based on this finding.